Backers Of Prop 1 Make Their Case

The final day before voters decide the fate of Proposal One has arrived.

Whether the sales tax and other additional tax increases are approved or not, tomorrow will be a crossroads in the future of road maintenance in Michigan.

Director of the County Road Association of Michigan Denise Donahue says the current tax structure is not working.

Proposal One will raise the sales tax from six to seven percent to make up for the money lost by eliminating the sales tax paid on gasoline. That money will go to schools, local governments and toward Earned Income Tax Credits.

A new tax on the wholesale purchase price of gasoline would then be applied that would be passed down to motorists.

The Michigan Municipal League’s John LaMacchia assures the public that the new law will make sure the money raised at the pump will go to the roads.

Marquette County Sheriff Michael Lovelace says the condition of the roads are a matter of safety for everyone, especially if there is an emergency.

Opponents of the law argue that there are other ways to fund the roads without passing the burden on to taxpayers and are concerned that the money raised will not be used to fix the problem.